B4 - The Oakville Beaver, W ednesday March 13, 2002 A brief history of the Oscar Shortly after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was organized in 1927, a dinner was held in the Crystal Ballroom o f the Biltmore Hotel in down town Los Angeles to discuss methods of honoring outstanding achievements, thus encouraging higher levels o f quality in all facets of motion picture production. A major item o f the business discussed was the creation o f a trophy to symbolize the recognition o f film achievement. MGM art director Cedric Gibbons took the idea to several Los Angeles artists who submitted designs. Los Angeles sculptor George Stanley was selected to create the statuette -- the figure of a knight standing on a reel o f film, hands gripping a sword. The Academy's world-renowned statuette was bom. Since the initial awards banquet on May O scar statuettes w aiting to d e p a rt the day a fter the 16, 1929, at the Hollywood Roosevelt 73rd Academy Awards. Hotel's Blossom Room. 2,365 statuettes have been presented. This January, addition crafted." says Scott Seigel. president of R. S. al new golden statuettes were cast, molded, pol Owens. "This statuette is only a tiny portion of our ished and buffed by R. S. Owens and Company, overall business, but it makes us known all around the Chicago awards specialty company retained the world. No other award is as universally recog by the Academy since 1982 to make the award. nized as the Oscar and we treat it with the extra Initially Oscar was solid bronze, for a while special tender loving care that it deserves. We are plaster and today gold-plated britannium . a extremely proud that the Academy has entrusted pewter-like alloy. He stands 131/2 inches tall and its manufacture to us." weighs a robust 81/2 pounds. He hasn't been The 15 statuettes presented at the initial cere altered again since his molten birth, except when monies were gold-plated solid bronze. Within a the design o f the pedestal was made higher in few years the bronze was abandoned in favor of 1945. the brittanium, which made it easier to give the Officially named the Academy Award o f Merit, statuettes their smooth finish. Due to the metals the statuette is better known by a nickname, shortage during World War II, Oscars were made Oscar, the origins of which aren't clear. A popular of painted plaster for three years. Following the story has been that an Academy librarian and war, all of the awarded plaster figures were eventual executive director, Margaret Herrick, redeemed for gold-plated metal ones. thought it resembled her Uncle Oscar and said so; Except in years when the Academy created a and that the Academy staff began referring to it as publicity event out of the delivery o f the Oscars Oscar. from Chicago to Los Angeles, they had been nor In any case, by the sixth Awards Presentation in mally sent overland by common carrier. 1934, Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky used However, in 2000, only a few weeks before the the name in his column in reference to Katharine presentation date, that year's shipment o f Oscars Hepburn's first Best Actress win. The Academy was stolen from the overland carrier's loading itself didn't use the nickname officially until 1939. dock in Bell. California. They were recovered a Achievement in 25 regular categories will be week later, but not before some nerve-wracking honored on March 24, 2002, at the 74th Academy days had passed. Awards Presentation at the new Kodak Theatre at This year, delivery o f the Oscars to Los Hollywood & Highland®. However, the Academy Angeles will be by United Air Line's air cargo won't know how many statuettes it will actually service. While on the ground they will be guarded hand out until the envelopes are opened on Oscar by InterCon security officers. Night. Although the number o f categories and The Oscar statuette is arguably the most recog special awards is known prior to the ceremony, the nized award in the world. Its success as a symbol possibility of ties and of multiple recipients shar o f achievement in filmmaking would doubtless ing the prize in some categories makes the exact amaze those who attended that dinner 74 years number of Oscar statuettes to be awarded unpre ago, as well as its creators, Cedric Gibbons and dictable. As in previous years, any surplus awards George Stanley. will be housed in the Academy's vault until next It stands today, as it has since 1929, all 13-andyear's event. a-half inches, without peer, on the mantels o f the "Each Oscar statuette is individually hand greatest filmmakers in history. Maintenance Free Sheds 8" x 10" fully in s ta lle d 8" x 12" fully in s ta lle d * 1 ,4 9 0 ° ° g^Q O O Backyard Specialties 416-301-8400 1-800-572-6802 W ith o u t a o f a D o u b t" . /'(>/'. A r //c /1 ( 9 / C 7 /e .C fi/v c /e cf/ic/. (fo t/? 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